While certainly there is no suggestion that this is an easy group for the Blues, I would argue it could have been tougher. From Pot B we found ourselves going head to head with Shakhtar Donetsk, our foes from our last group stage. Avoiding the likes of Roma, and a reunion with Edin Dzeko and Aleks Kolarov, along with Borussia Dortmund.
Pot 3 saw Lyon join our group, rather than Valencia, Monaco and Schalke. Again, in Pot 4, we were given 1899 Hoffenheim. A trip to Germany rather than a trip to Serbia, Russia or even Turkey is certainly more palatable.
So what can we expect from the six group fixtures for the Blues? Fixture wise we don't have a great deal of head to head data between City and the three other Group F members. In fact this will be the first time the Blues face Lyon and Hoffenheim.
Even the Shakhtar statistics are a little misleading. Only last seasons group stage provides the data for this fixture with the Ukrainian side, with one win each. The first game for us took place at the Etihad and saw City run out 2-0 winners with goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.
The second game took place only three days after a 2-1 win over West Ham, and only four days before beating United on their own ground. As a result, it was quite a changed starting eleven for City. Tosin Adarabioyo and Phil Foden started with another teenager, Brahim Diaz, coming on for 30 minutes. Even Eliaquim Mangala got a rare start, and played the full 90 along with Danilo and Yaya Toure.
When it comes to players shared, the Ukranian side also lead. Fernandinho came from Shakhtar, and there was strong rumors Fred would be following his Brazilian mates path. Oleksandr Zinchenko was in their youth side from 2009 and 2104 before coming to City, via Ufa, in 2016.
Nery Castillo, who made such a sensational impact on the Blues fans, was loaned to the Sven revolution by this seasons Champions League opponents. Also coming to Manchester straight from the Ukraine was Andrei Kanchelskis, although it was initially United.
From United he went to Everton, Fiorentina and Glasgow Rangers, before being loaned to the Blues. Moving to Lyon and you have one current and one with special meaning in both sides hearts. Jason Denayar currently plays for the French side after years of trying to break into the City squad.
Finally, Marc-Vivian Foe also played for both clubs, loaned to us from the French side. He will forever be in City folklore after scoring the last City goal at Maine Road before the move to the current stadium, called the City of Manchester stadium at that point.
Passing away on the field during a Confederations Cup game in June it wasn't clear if he would be returning to Manchester, back to Lyon or to another club the following season. His death impacted the Mancunian people, along with the wider footballing world, with City retiring the number 23 shirt.
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